Chicano and Hispanic Theatre in the USA
Due to the fast-growing Spanish-speaking population in the United States, particularly due to immigration from Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, Hispanic theatre thrives in the United States. Hispanic theatre in the United States has particularly grown in the past 25 years, but it began as early as 1567 with settlers and soldiers in Miami performing religious plays. Before the end of the 16th century, colonists were performing other religious plays as far west as El Paso, Texas. These plays reflected one of the missions of the settlers: Christianize the natives. Hispanic theatre can be divided into three distinct categories. Chicano theatre is performed mainly in the west and southwest, Cuban-American theatre is mainly performed in New York and Florida, and Nuyorican theatre is a New York theatre that is heavily influenced by Puerto Rican culture.
Chicano theatre is the broadest and oldest form of Hispanic theatre in the United States. Plays in this group were particularly popular in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the early 19th century, and by the 1920s its popularity had spread to the east to Chicago. The plays were broad; they could be anywhere from lighthearted comedies to deeper plays that focused on serious issues in Hispanic communities.
Cuban-American theatre can be characterized by melodramas and blackface farces. These plays were preformed by Cuban immigrants in New York City and Ybor City-Tampa during the later 19th century. In the 20th century, melodramas became a state for Cuban-American theatre. Cuban-American theatre saw large-scale activity during the Cuban revolution in 1959.
Mexican-American theatre began as a way for immigrants to keep their strong sense of community. Their plays began as Biblical stories, but now these plays focus more on the values shared by Mexican-American communities.
Due to the fast-growing Spanish-speaking population in the United States, particularly due to immigration from Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, Hispanic theatre thrives in the United States. Hispanic theatre in the United States has particularly grown in the past 25 years, but it began as early as 1567 with settlers and soldiers in Miami performing religious plays. Before the end of the 16th century, colonists were performing other religious plays as far west as El Paso, Texas. These plays reflected one of the missions of the settlers: Christianize the natives. Hispanic theatre can be divided into three distinct categories. Chicano theatre is performed mainly in the west and southwest, Cuban-American theatre is mainly performed in New York and Florida, and Nuyorican theatre is a New York theatre that is heavily influenced by Puerto Rican culture.
Chicano theatre is the broadest and oldest form of Hispanic theatre in the United States. Plays in this group were particularly popular in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the early 19th century, and by the 1920s its popularity had spread to the east to Chicago. The plays were broad; they could be anywhere from lighthearted comedies to deeper plays that focused on serious issues in Hispanic communities.
Cuban-American theatre can be characterized by melodramas and blackface farces. These plays were preformed by Cuban immigrants in New York City and Ybor City-Tampa during the later 19th century. In the 20th century, melodramas became a state for Cuban-American theatre. Cuban-American theatre saw large-scale activity during the Cuban revolution in 1959.
Mexican-American theatre began as a way for immigrants to keep their strong sense of community. Their plays began as Biblical stories, but now these plays focus more on the values shared by Mexican-American communities.